[jklinger410]

> I doubt those types are saying much of anything. Its more likely their caregivers.

It doesn't really matter whose saying it. The point is that autism is not cool or fun for many people. We need a way to distinguish the difference, besides saying high or low functioning.

> We're only a disease cause we're the minority.

WHICH WE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THEN? IS IT NOT A DISEASE WHEN SOMEONE IS NON-VERBAL? Holy shit. Point, meet case.

[mystraline]

I immediately started with 'Aspergers was folded into autism spectrum disorder'.

I dont think they ever should have did that.

If the doctors say that "someone is nonverbal, pisses their pants, and needs spoonfed at 17yr old" is somehow the same as "someone who is a professional engineer who can hyperfocus but misses social cues and says weird stuff" - the doctors are completely wrong.

Those are demonstrably NOT the same thing.

And yes, my Aspergers is a super power. Those abilities (many positive, some negative) have gotten me far.

[staticman2]

The diagnostic criteria for "Aspergers" never required above average, or even average intelligence.

If you had visited the Aspergers and autism website support forum "wrong planet" 20 years ago you'd have seen many lower functioning than you people with "aspergers" complaining about aspects of their lives.

So I don't see how "aspergers" is a superpower.

[LorenPechtel]

It got folded in because it was recognized that it's just a milder presentation of the same underlying problem.

[jklinger410]

Then we agree that autism should be comprised of several named and distinct "disorders."